Stanford’s Craig Jones enjoying special season

Craig Jones prepares to make a tackle in the Cardinal’s rout of Arizona in October. Jones is a key member of Stanford’s punt- and kickoff-coverage teams.

Craig Jones prepares to make a tackle in the Cardinal’s rout of Arizona in October. Jones is a key member of Stanford’s punt- and kickoff-coverage teams.

Photo: David Elkinson / David Elkinson/Stanfordphoto.com

Photo: David Elkinson / David Elkinson/Stanfordphoto.com

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Craig Jones prepares to make a tackle in the Cardinal’s rout of Arizona in October. Jones is a key member of Stanford’s punt- and kickoff-coverage teams.

Craig Jones prepares to make a tackle in the Cardinal’s rout of Arizona in October. Jones is a key member of Stanford’s punt- and kickoff-coverage teams.

Photo: David Elkinson / David Elkinson/Stanfordphoto.com

Stanford’s Craig Jones enjoying special season

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LOS ANGELES — Talk about a long road to travel. Linebacker Craig Jones hardly got to play at all in his first two years at Stanford. Last year, he joined the punt- and kickoff-return teams.

This year, he’s also on the punt- and kickoff-coverage teams and shared the special-teams MVP award with kicker Conrad Ukropina. Jones will be among the people trying to keep track of Iowa return whiz Desmond King in the Rose Bowl on Friday.

It’s all rarefied air for the valedictorian of his senior class at Central Catholic-Modesto. Jones had 3,189 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns in his high school career, but the main schools that recruited him were Cornell, Yale and Princeton of the Ivy League. When Stanford invited him as what’s called a preferred walk-on, he couldn’t say no.

“Stanford provided me the best of both worlds, athletically and academically,” he said. “I wanted to have a chance to compete for the Rose Bowl, Pac-12 championships, national titles. The Ivy League has no postseason. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity.

“Plus, academically Stanford is kind of a haven around the country. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Although he’s a senior academically, he plans to play next year while pursuing his master’s in management science and engineering.

During his first two years, Jones worked strictly on scout teams, imitating the special teams that Stanford was about to face.

“He was a pain in our end for two years as a scout guy, making our special teams better,” special-teams coach Pete Alamar said. “That’s how he got on the special teams.”

In August, he received a big surprise at the end of a training-camp practice. Head coach David Shaw announced to the team that Jones was finally on full scholarship.

In the locker room, he called his parents with the good news. “My mom went about as crazy as the rest of the team did,” he said.

Iowa’s King, who won the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the country, is also one of the top return men in the Big Ten. He averages 25.6 yards on kickoff returns, second in the conference, and 12.7 on punts, third best.

“He has excellent change of direction,” Jones said. “He has the ability to make some explosive plays.” Though facing King will be a challenge, Jones said, “We faced great returners on almost every team we played.”

Stanford ranked second to USC in kickoff coverage in the Pac-12 and was fifth in net punting, which includes return yardage. In the Pac-12 championship-game win over the Trojans, Jones tackled the elusive Adoree Jackson on a kickoff return at the USC 21-yard line.

It was one of 13 tackles on special teams for Jones and probably the highlight of his season. He’s hoping for more highlights in Pasadena.